Red-hot lips

Fall smiles on bold lipstick color — with a twist

Conventional wisdom would offset a bold crimson pout with nearly naked eyes. This season, however, celebs such as Kim Kardashian, Emma Stone and Uma Thurman prove that high-definition eyes can coexist prettily with red lips.

"It's a matter of personal preference, whether you wear a very clean eye with minimal makeup, or go all the way and pair a red lip with dramatic eye makeup," said one-name wonder Uzo, Nars Cosmetics' international lead makeup artist. "What is modern right now is a look that is in the middle."

Red lips/nude eyes isn't the only "rule" being broken.

"Many ethnic clients believe that you shouldn't wear red lipstick if you have full lips," said Alex Sanchez, national makeup artist for Lancome. "That's the biggest myth — like saying your legs are too gorgeous, so you shouldn't wear a short skirt."

There are some don'ts.

"Don't wear red if you aren't going to be able to check them throughout the day/night," said Chanel celebrity makeup artist Kara Yoshimoto Bua. "Do not put a shiny lip moisturizer on top of a red lipstick; it dissolves and breaks down the pigment — and gets messy."

Here, they address other burning questions about fall's red lips.

What shades and finishes are hot?

Uzo recommends true reds that have no blue undertone for fair and medium complexions. Deeper reds with a blue undertone look best on darker complexions, she said. She likes a matte finish, as with Nars Pure Matte Lipstick in Mascate or Vesuvio ($25; narscosmetics.com) and Nars Jungle Red Lipstick ($24).

Going easy on the eyes and pulling hair back taut make for a classic look with red lips, Sanchez said. "Don't be afraid to define the eyes with a sexy fringe of liquid liner and mascara," he said.

What are key steps in application?

Sanchez suggests exfoliating lips in the shower with a little sugar on a washcloth, and using lip primer before applying lipstick with a lip brush, which permits precision without obvious lines. Frame off corners of the mouth with concealer to prevent feathering. Finish by blotting color with a tissue for a stained effect. "To keep color from migrating onto teeth, wrap index finger with tissue, put finger in mouth, press lips around finger, then withdraw finger slowly to remove excess lipstick," he said.